


In The Moment

by WillGrammer



Category: Papillon (2018)
Genre: Character Study, Comfort, Confusion, Fluff, Imprisonment, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, One Shot, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 15:06:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16088582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillGrammer/pseuds/WillGrammer
Summary: Louis is sick, and Henri holds him one night, seeking for understanding his own feelings towards the smaller man.





	In The Moment

Louis wasn't his bitch. But it was obvious that people around them would think that he was, when all they saw was Dega cling to him, so small and delicate.

 

Blue eyes open wide behind those round glasses of his, knees and hands shivering as his heart raced, and his breath nearly stopped whenever some other inmate wanted to take a shot and steal from him.

 

They were sleeping next to each other. His back was turned to him, but Louis always faced his back despite that. That didn't help the rumors that spread across them, it only made them to be more of a target, really, and that was dangerous.

 

And Louis was annoying. Thinking that his back would be more of a comfort than the wall on the other side. He was clingy, and scared, and he shivered a lot in his sleep. Henri tried to ignore it.

 

Some nights he dreamt of seeing Nenette again; whenever he tried to reach her she faded away like dust, calling his name even after she was gone from his view. It frustrated him. It hurt him, to leave her every night when the morning came. To give up, until he tried again, with no successes.

 

During his sleepless nights he kept his eyes open. Listening to the wind, to the sounds around him. To Dega, mostly his breaths. He would sometimes turn around when he was lonely, looking down at his face.

 

His eyes seemed bigger without his round glasses. His shoulders weren't very wide. His tiny arms and small waist gave him the presence of a younger man, and when remembering how he placed him inside the cart when he couldn't walk, it made him smile a little, because it was funny.

 

One particular night, Henri found himself awakening to the sound of a cough. The wind was fierce at night, it was only a matter of time before people would get sick. Those uniforms were hardly any comfort, and neither were the blankets they were given.

 

“Quit it,” the blond muttered under his breath. “They'll hear,” he whispered to Louis, who hissed into his dirty hands, his eyes closed shut as Henri turned to him, placing his palm against his forehead.

 

“Shit,” he cursed quietly before biting his lip, the moonlight from the cracks of the ceiling lit up some of the walls, he could see the way sweat trickled down Dega’s forehead, he was shaking, his hands wrapped around himself. His lips changed color.

 

“I'll be better in the morning,” Louis grunted out, before Henri shook his head and sighed, before pulling him against his himself, his head pressed against his chest.

 

“You’d be dead by sunrise. Don't get all tough now,” he stared down at him, watching those blue eyes of his open wide. He couldn't see without his glasses, surely not in such darkness, and yet he was staring upwards to him.

 

“Without you, yes,” Dega hummed and blinked a couple of times, unfamiliar body heat, sweat and dirt now pressed against him, but it didn't feel bad. No. It was… Comforting, really.

 

It was strange, to be held by a man. It wasn't anything that Louis thought he would experience, surely not here, of all places.

 

He had a wife, but he was sick. He loved her, but hired Papillon to keep him alive. He wondered what his wife would think of that.

 

Then again, he could never defend himself against his father. How would he defend himself against those men? He needed help. He didn't have to explain himself, not to anyone. Surely not himself, but…

 

It was confusing.

 

His heart pumped through his chest to the sound of Papillon’s doing the same. It has been long since he felt such warmness, such peace, and yet such excitement at once.

 

Long, dirty fingers pressing against his back, the pressure was welcomed, needed, causing shivers to go down his spine as he breathed into the blond’s chest, closing his eyes finally.

 

“I'll take you to the infirmary in the morning,” Henri told him a moment later, watching him go still, finding peace in the moment they shared. As weird as it may seem, as unusual as it may be, he didn't apologize for holding Dega. For keeping him alive.

 

“It's your job, after all,” he heard the smaller man say a moment later, almost bitterly.

 

Yes. He was just doing his job, that's all. There was nothing more to it, nor there should be, but it was nice to picture Nenett sleeping next to him instead of Louis, as much as it was fine for him to allow the man to lay against him in silence if finding peace during the night was his goal. He couldn't judge him for wanting to be near him, the man who were to keep him alive.

 

He could imagine how Dega must have felt. Relying on a man to care for his life in such a place, it must have fed his insecurities and what not, surely it didn't do good for his image, but being smart was more important than being strong in such cases.

 

And Louis was smart. For rethinking his decision. For counting on him. Or perhaps he was just overthinking this.

 

Louis was asleep now. Coughing into his chest from time to time, but he was very still, he didn't shake anymore which was a good sign.

 

A strange wave of relief filled Henri, one that he hasn't felt in a long time. Guilt went through him for a brief moment, he knew that his girlfriend must be worried, and here he was, holding a man against him, as he held her many times in the past. Would she forgive him for that?

 

He looked down at Dega and sighed, closing his eyes for the rest of the night, allowing sleep to take him prisoner.

 

He could hear Louis’ quiet words of thanks as he drifted off.

 

He smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> My first work about these two. I'm sorry if they're out of character, I only watched the movie today and began writing this as soon as I came home. I hope you will enjoy reading, regardless. I love their dynamic, I'm sure I will write more about them. 
> 
> Please kudos and leave your thoughts down below, I would love to know what you think! 
> 
> My Tumblr: https://will-grammer.tumblr.com/
> 
> (I would enjoy role playing these two with anyone so please let me know if you are interested?) 
> 
> As always, until next time. 
> 
> -Alex.


End file.
